A Week in October
by HappyBeingInsane
Summary: Gwen and Arthur travel to the village of Longstead ( seen in Merlin 4x08 - Lamia) to stay for a week with Gwen's friends Mary and John, who came to Camelot in Lamia asking for a physician to treat the sick men in the village. It's set in the year after Gwen becomes Queen, and is just part of my random imaginings of what could have happened in that year. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

It was evening in Camelot. Outside the castle it was already dark – the nights drawing in closer and earlier now it was October – and there was a distinct chill in the air that made the King and Queen feel lucky that they had both each other and a fireplace.

Sequestered in their chambers after yet another long day, they were curled up on multitudes of furs in front of the fire – warm and sated in the sleepy afterglow of love making. Blissfully exhausted, they were still entwined – Gwen lying where she had collapsed atop Arthur's chest, safe in the circle of his arms with her head tucked against his shoulder.

Gently, he moved his hand to twine a loose curl around his finger – watching as it bounced when he let it go. Gwen purred contentedly into his neck at the feeling, and Arthur smiled. He loved that he could make her make that noise, loved that it was _he_ who could elicit it from her lips, even with the simplest touch.

Wanting to hear it again, his hands – still resting on her back - moved, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin. She purred again, and this time Arthur grinned.

"You sound like a cat that's got the cream." He told her softly, his words breaking the warm, drowsy silence that had settled over their chambers.

"Mmmmm." She kissed his neck, smiling lazily. "And a very delicious cream it was too."

Arthur grinned. "I'm glad to hear it, my love. You know I aim to please."

"Oh, you_ do_ please, husband. And I say that at the risk of stroking your ego."

Arthur chuckled. "A very unwise move, if I do say so myself." He informed her, and Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Believe me, I'm regretting it already."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm." She paused, tucking her face into the warmth of his neck again and inhaling. "You smell nice."

"Don't try to change the subject, Guinevere."

"I wasn't! Though now you mention it, I did mean to tell you that I read that letter from Mary earlier."

"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow at her. "What did it say?"

"She wants us to go and stay with her and John for a while." She said, lifting her head from his shoulder and looking down at him, toying idly with the fine hairs on his chest as she did so. Arthur frowned quizzically up at her. "Stay?"

"Only for a week. They want to thank me for helping them last year."

"Do you have to go?"

"I _want_ to go, Arthur. And nothing you say is going to stop me."

He sighed. "I'd much rather you stay here, my love." He said, reaching a hand up to tuck an errant curl back behind her ear. His hand came down to cup her cheek, and Gwen smiled.

"I know you would." She said quietly, leaning into his touch. "But – "

"You're going to go anyway." He nodded, before adding with a resigned grin: "You wouldn't be my Guinevere if you actually listened to me."

"Now that's not fair!" Gwen protested, poking his cheek in indignation. "When have I not listened to you?"

"Well, there was that time when I told you to ride for Camelot and you didn't. I _distinctly _remember you saying that you didn't _have_ to listen to me then."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Of all things, I was hoping you wouldn't remember that." She groaned, burying her face in his neck again, and Arthur grinned.

"You know I love you for it though."

"Do I?" Gwen lifted her head and looked down at him, a teasing note both in her voice and in her eyes.

"Don't you dare doubt it, Guinevere. You know how much I love you."

"Yes, but a girl can never be told too many times." She smiled, leaning down and kissing him sweetly. "Now will you please give me your blessing to let me go?"

"You don't need my blessing, Love. We're equals, I'm not your superior - you know that."

"Yes, but at least I can say I had it." Gwen pointed out. "Then I can say I listened to you, and you can't contradict me."

Arthur chuckled. "Fine. You have my blessing, clever girl."

At this Gwen's lips curved into a gentle smile. "I love you." She said softly, kissing the tip of his nose, and at the touch of her lips Arthur couldn't help but smile himself.

"I love you too."

Stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb, he lifted his hand from her face and let her settle back down, wrapping his arms around her again.

"When will you leave?" He asked after a while.

"She says that if I send a reply by Monday, they will expect me the same Saturday. I thought I might use an express messenger from the stables."

"I'm coming with you." He said quietly, stroking her hair. "Last time you made a visit to Longstead you were almost killed. I won't have you travel without me. I won't risk it."

Gwen raised her head at this. "You're sure?" She asked, searching his eyes for any sign that he was joking. "You don't have to come, you know – Mary said only if your trade could spare you."

Arthur raised an amused eyebrow at her. "My trade?"

"Yes – your trade, my love." Gwen smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "It's what those of us _not_ born into the nobility have to do in order to put food on the table."

Arthur chuckled. "Funnily enough Guinevere, I do know what the word means."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "You know you'll have to cope without your big soft bed and your multitudes of pillows for a _whole week_." She teased. "It certainly won't be the luxurious quarters you're used to."

Arthur grinned. "Well firstly, wife," he began, leaning up to kiss her before continuing, "I think you'll find it's _our _big soft bed now. And secondly – "He kissed her again – "Anywhere is luxury as long as it's somewhere I'm with you."

Gwen giggled. "That wasn't what you thought when you stayed with me that one time."

"Ah, but that was different. I wasn't allowed to sleep with you in my arms back then."

"Did you want to?"

"Guinevere, I wanted to do _a lot_ of things that you didn't know about." He grinned, the implication clear in his voice as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"_Arthur!_"

"What?" He looked the picture of innocence, his big blue eyes wide. "A husband and wife are meant to be completely honest with each other, aren't they?"

Gwen gave him a look. "You know what I meant."

"And you know what_ I_ meant, Wife."

"_Arthur!_"


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday arrived surprisingly quickly that week. Maybe it was because it had been such a busy one – trade meetings had coincided uncomfortably with packing – but it seemed to come upon them much faster than normal.

Gwen, of course, was up first. Having been a servant previously, she was used to rising before first light and had never quite kicked the habit. Nevertheless, she did enjoy spending lazy mornings in Arthur's arms (marriage brought new habits too, apparently) and as she looked up from the table over to the bed, she wished she could be in them now. Unfortunately though, this was not one such 'lazy 'morning.

Setting down the bag she had been fastening, Gwen padded over to the bed and around it, so that she was standing beside her husband. He was still fast asleep, curled up in the same position she had left him in. Gazing down at him, he couldn't help but pause to smile at how peaceful he looked.

If they didn't have to leave so early she would've left him to sleep, but light was already creeping over the horizon and time was ticking away.

Crouching down, Gwen reached out a hand and shook him gently.

"Arthur."

"Hmmfff."

"Arthur."

"MmmmsleepinGuin'vere."

"_Arthur!"_ She tried again, pulling at his shoulder this time and rolling him over onto his back. "Wake up, the horses are waiting."

This time she succeeded. His eyes flickered open, blinking blearily in the sudden brightness of the room as they tried to adjust. For a moment he looked almost confused – then his gaze focussed on her and he grinned lazily.

"Good morning, my love." He purred, reaching out a gentle had to cup her cheek. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm." Gwen hummed in response, kissing the tip of his nose. "You?"

"Like a log." He paused to stretch. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, but I really don't think it's me you should be worrying about." She pointed out, running a hand down his very bare chest to highlight her point. "Now get up, or we're going to be late."

"Late?" Arthur asked innocently, slipping an arm around her waist. "The only thing you're late for at the moment Guinevere," He pulled her down over him, "Is a repeat of yesterday morning's activities."

"Arthur!" She squeaked in surprise as she collided with his chest, but he silenced her protests with his lips and she melted into him, letting his tongue slip inside her mouth. She met it with her own and they danced together, sparring and stroking as they had done a thousand times before.

For a few moments they were completely lost in each other, until finally Gwen, remembering what they were supposed to be doing, pulled away.

"We have to go." She said by way of explanation when Arthur looked crestfallen, quickly placing a finger on his lips as he opened his mouth to protest. Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere, he closed it again, his lips falling into their trademark pout. Reluctantly he let her go, and she rolled off of him onto the bed.

"I would've preferred it if we could've finished what you started, wife." He complained, but Gwen was not to be moved.

"You started it, actually." She pointed out teasingly. Now get up, lazy."

Picking up a nearby cushion she hit him playfully with it. "Imagine what Gwaine would say if we were late."

"I don't have to." Arthur groaned, sitting up at last and swinging his legs off the bed. "_Every time_ I'm late for training, he ribs me about how good it must be to have such a beautiful wife. _Every time_. Not to mention the bit about how _normal_ it is for me to spend so much 'time' with you."

"I take it we can expect a lot of that on the ride then?"

"I have a horrible feeling we won't hear anything else." He grimaced, finally standing up and leaning forward to swipe a fresh shirt from the chair beside the bed. He studied it, frowning.

"Blue?" He asked curiously, looking across at Gwen who was now stood on the opposite side of the bed.

"Mmhmm." She smiled sweetly at him as she straightened the sheets. "I like you in blue."

Arthur's puzzled expression faded into a warm grin at her words. "Then blue it is." He announced, pulling the shirt over his head with a flourish. When he appeared again, his hair was completely tousled, and he looked so comical that Gwen had to bite back a smile.

"You're hopeless." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Hopeless at what?"

"Never mind."

Smiling, she picked up the comb from her bedside table and walked around to where he was stood. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the comb up to his hair and he placed a hand on her waist to support her, a small smile of his own curving his lips as he gazed down at her.

In silence she brushed his tousled fringe straight and in silence he watched her – with eyes as wondering as if she were performing a miracle.

"There." She smiled, stepping back when she was done, before looking him over. "Much better."

"Fit to meet Mary and John, do you think?"

"Always." Gwen kissed him quickly. "Now come on, or we won't be meeting them today at all." Turning, she began to walk away, but on hearing Arthur's exclamation of surprise as she did so, she stopped in her tracks.

"What?"

"Are you wearing my shirt?" He asked, his grin broadening as he looked at her. Gwen threw him a saucy one of her own over her shoulder.

"Maybe."

"It suits you much better than it does me, you know."

Gwen laughed. "You always say that."

"That's because it's the truth." Arthur pointed out, following her through the arches that separated their bedchamber from the rest of their rooms and over to the table. "Besides, I like it when you wear my shirts. They always smell of you afterwards."

"You don't put them in the laundry?"

Arthur shrugged. "Why would I wash something that already smells of lavender? It saves the servants time if I don't, plus there's the added bonus that they smell like my wife."

"Suit yourself, Pendragon." Gwen picked up her fur jacket from where it was draped over the back of a chair and slipped it on, making sure to fasten the ties at the front before catching up the last bag. "Ready?"

Arthur grimaced. "As I'll ever be."

"Good." She smiled, leaning up and giving him a brief kiss on the lips. Her free hand she slipped into his as they broke apart, entwining their fingers, and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**** As with my other ongoing fic, I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, and I'm sorry that this chapter is so short! It is the only short one, though (the others have turned out to be quite rambling), as I wanted to focus more on the actually stay in Longstead and wanted Arthur and Gwen to get there as quickly as possible. Again, your reviews are what keep me going, so please keep reviewing, and thankyou to all those who have already done so!**

"You did remember to tell them that I was coming?" Arthur asked for what must have been the thirtieth time, spurring his horse on so he was riding beside her

Gwen rolled her eyes amusedly at his questioning.

"Of course I did." She told him, turning her head away to hide a smile. "You watched me write the letter, Arthur."

"I know, but -" He broke off, fidgeting uncomfortably in the saddle for a moment before he spoke again. "What if they're not expecting me?"

"They are, my love, I promise you." She assured him patiently, smiling across at him. "There's no need to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous!"

"Arthur -"

"I'm not." He repeated stubbornly, his jaw set and his gaze focussed unblinkingly on the path ahead.

"Really?" A voice close behind them startled them both - causing Gwen to jump a little in the saddle and making Arthur's head snap around.

"Gwaine!" He exclaimed angrily upon seeing the eavesdropper. "Can't you keep your big nose out of anything?"

The cheeky knight just grinned. "Relax, Princess." He drawled, flicking his hair. "You're only meeting the closest people your wife has to family. What's to be nervous about?"

"For the last time, I'm not nervous!" Arthur snapped, glaring at him. "Now will you please go and - oh, I don't know, eat some chicken or do whatever it is you do in your free time."

"Well, I haven't got any chicken, so unless Gwen here -" he paused to throw a cheeky wink at the queen -"wants to -"

"GWAINE!"


End file.
